Electric-railway system



No. 621,325. Patented Mar. 2|, |899.

G. L. CAMPBELL. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed May 5, 1898.) (No Model.)

A TTORNEYS.

ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, OF DUSHORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY lSYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,321, dated March 21, 1899. Application filed May 5, 1898. Serial No. 679,787. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, of Dushore, in the county of Sullivan and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of electric-railway systems employing a closed conduit having a continuous main conductor and a sectional surface conductor and in which a trolley is caused to travel with the car by the influence of a magnet on the car.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction of the trolley and conduit, which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the conduit, showing the trolley and the magnets on the car. Fig. 2 is a partial section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the trolley. v

The conduit A consists of the base C, sides D, and top B, insulated from the sides D by the strips d of insulating material. The top B, which forms a rail or conductor, is composed of a series of sections l), insulated from each other by the strips of insulating material b2 between the ends thereof, and in the under surface of the top or conductor B is formed a groove b3 to receive the trolleywheels, as hereinafter described.

In the bottom of the conduit is arranged the continuous rail or conductor E, which has a concave upper face and is insulated from the base of the conduit, as shown at e.

Mounted in the conduit A is the trolley F, provided with the wheels G G and H H, the wheels G G' traveling in the groove b3 of the top or rail B and the wheels H H' travelingon the rail or conductor E. The wheels G G are mounted in the ends of the frame I and 'the wheels H H in the free ends of a'rms K,

pivoted to the ends of the frame and projecting inwardly toward each other. The arms 5o K are preferably pivoted, as shown, on the journals of the wheels G G.

The wheels H H' are provided with elongated hubs, as shown, and engaging saidhubs are the brushes J J The brushes J J are secured to yielding supports arranged on opposite sides of the frame I, as clearly shown in the drawings. bars L L', fitted to slide in keepers M M, secured to opposite sides of the frame I, and the springs N N', secured to the said frame and to the upper ends of said sliding bars. The springs N N' extend in opposite directionsthat is to say, the spring N is secured to one end ofthe frame I and the spring N' to the other end of the frame and on the opposite side. The body of the brushes J J may be of any desired shape in cross-section, but their ends are preferably flattened, as shown at j.

By means of the brushes J J and their yielding supports the wheels H H will not only be held in contact with the rail or conductor E, but a short and perfect path for'the current from the continuous conductor or rail E to the sectional conductor B is provided and sparking thereby1 prevented.

Secured to the upper face of the frame I is the brush O, which engages the sectional conductor or rail B to insure a perfect contact, and by means of which brush and the wheels H H and the brushes J J a direct path for the circuit from the lower to the upper rail is afforded. The brush shown is in the form of a spring and preferably of copper; but any suitable brush may be employed.

Upon the cars are the'magnets P, which are located close to the sectional conductor B. These magnets are preferably electro- -magnets and may be energized from the conductors, from storage batteries, or in any other suitable manner, and when so energized the trolley will be caused to travel in the conduit along with the car. Contact may be made with the sectional conductor B by means of a shoe Q, arranged upon the car as shown, or by any other well-known means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.V In an electric-railway system, a trolley comprising a wheeled frame, wheels below the frame and pivotally connected therewith, brushes carried by the frame and engaging The supports consist of the ICO' the pivoted Wheels, and a brush on the upper part of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In an electric-railway system, a trolley comprising a frame, a wheel mounted in each end of the frame, a Wheel pivotally connected with each end of the frame, and brushes carried by the frame and engaging the Wheels pivotally connected with the frame, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway system, a trolley comprising a frame, a Wheel mounted in each end of the frame, a Wheel pivotally connected with each end of the frame, and brushes yieldingly supported from the frame and engaging the Wheels pivotally connected with the frame', substantially as described.

4f. In an electric-railway system, a trolley comprising a frame, a Wheel journaled in each end of the frame, arms pivoted to the frame and carrying wheels at the free ends, slidingr and spring-pressed bars carried by the frame, and brushes carried by the bars and engaging the hubs of the wheels, carried by the pivotcd arms, substantially as described.

5. In an electric-railway system, a trolley comprisin ga frame, a wheel journaled in each end of the frame, arms pivoted to the ends of the frame, Wheels mounted in the arms, bars sliding in guideways on the frame, springs secured to the frame and to the sliding bars, and brushes secured to the sliding bars and engaging the hubs of the wheels carried by the arms, substantially as described.

G. In an electric-'railway system, a trolley comprising a frame, a Wheel j ournaled in each end of the frame, arms pivoted to the frame, Wheels mounted in the arms, sliding and spring pressed bars carried by the frame, brushes secured to the lower ends of the bars and engaging the hubs of the wheels carried by the pivoted arms, and a brush on the upper face of the frame, substantially as described.

7. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a conduit having its top formed of a series of insulated sections and provided with a groove in its under face, and a continuous conductor in the conduit and insulated therefrom, of a trolley comprising a frame, a Wheel mounted in each end of the frame, to engage the groove of the top or soctional conductor, a wheel pivotally connected With each end of the frame, to travel on the continuous rail, a brush yieldingly supported and engaging each of the wheels pivotally connected with the frame, and a brush on the upper face of the frame, substantially as described.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

W. B. LAY'roN, J. K. NEWELL. 

